SOUTH JORDAN — For many students, if there's one thing they don't like nearly as much as year-round classes, it just might be math.
"It's just confusing to me, all those rules and stuff,” said Dylann Campbell, a sixth-grade student at Daybreak Elementary in South Jordan.
Yet more and more students at the school may now pick math as one of their favorite subjects.
"I like math,” said sixth-grader Allison McIntyre. “It comes pretty easy to me.”
“I like it because it challenges me and makes my brain think,” said sixth-grader Taylor Paschal.
Maybe their answers were because their principal was nearby when they were asked about math. Or maybe it was because of a new addition to their school stairs.
The stairs are being called "math stairs" because of multiplication equations and answers printed in red, white, and blue on the front of each step.
"The kids really enjoy that it looks more artistic than just black stairs, but also learning as they're going up,” said Daybreak Elementary interim Principal Kristie Howe. “It’s been great. There's some students who feel a lot more confident in their multiplication facts now.”
Students walk up and down these stairs often enough during school days that some of the equations are bound to set in.
"Because you see them and then you memorize it because you see the answer. It just helps me learn,” Taylor said.
The school decided on multiplication because, for the most part, it’s a math equation that should be memorized.
"You can't necessarily count on your fingers for multiplication. You have to know it. It's easier to know the facts right off the top of your head,” said Howe.
The math stairs have been up for about two months after a local business owner saw something similar in Atlanta and figured it was a good idea for the South Jordan school.
"That's the whole point. With a small business in this community, you want to be in the community and help the community as much as you can,” said Rich Goodloe, who owns the Riverton UPS store.
So far, students say the stairs are helping.
"Yeah it does because when I go up the stairs and back down, then I can memorize them,” Dylann said.
"When I walk up the stairs, it's just really cool because sometimes I try to test myself and see if I can remember all of them,” added Allison.
Email: acabrero@deseretnews.com